Shining Stars
by Mystic Lady Fae
Summary: A series of short stories involving Steve and Adena, with the occasional appearance by the Avengers. Also, a few surprise visits from other characters. Enjoy! :-)
1. Awkward Visits

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Here's the first one-shot. Others to follow soon! Enjoy, and please don't forget to review!

**Story #1: Awkward Visits:**

Looking over at Adena, Steve tried to resist the urge to put a protective hand on hers. They were, after all, on territory that was unfamiliar to him, and his instinctive response was to keep her safe. She hated it when he was like this, but it was a habit he had formed, and one that was hard to break, because he didn't want to.

It had been three months since the incident with Agent Carter, and during that time, Steve had tried (unsuccessfully) not to be a nervous wreck about Adena's safety. Even when they were on the familiar streets in New York, he still sometimes found himself glancing around, assessing their surroundings and searching for danger. Adena always rolled her eyes and told him to relax, but after everything that had happened to her, Steve wasn't about to let his guard down again.

Luckily, that was the only main issue they had, and things were settling back to normal between them. They did have the occasional disagreement about his education of the modern world, but nothing major –he was progressing very well, according to Adena, and the routine they'd settled back into was a comfortable one.

There was one important change to their relationship, though. Ever since that night in Adena's room, the two of them had taken the next step of sleeping together in one bed. They never did anything more than sleep –well, except for the occasional kiss, of course, and they did tend to snuggle up close during the night, but nothing more than that.

Even though Steve had, at first, experienced mixed feelings about their change in sleeping situations, the shared bed turned out for the best. He felt better having Adena close to him at night, and in turn, she was glad for it, too, if only so he would be there if she ever had a nightmare about her meeting with Agent Carter. Even though Adena had made peace with the woman, and had forgiven her, she still sometimes relived the incident in her nightmares. Luckily, those were becoming fewer and fewer; she now only had them once every two or three weeks, but on those nights, his being there was a comfort to them both.

As the cab pulled off of the freeway, Steve tried not to think about Sharon Carter, and instead tried to focus on today. '_At least this trip will be good for her_.' He firmly believed that, because unlike their last trip somewhere, this one was taking them somewhere very familiar to her.

"Cap, stop _fidgeting_," Adena chided him as the cab got closer to their destination. "You look like you've got itching powder in your clothes."

He honestly couldn't help it. Even though he'd faced down Nazis, Red Skull, alien armies, and fought Loki hand-to-hand, Steve found himself more nervous and afraid of today's events than any one of those.

By now, they were in a residential neighborhood, with nice houses and tall trees lining the streets. Each house had a decent yard, and each was decorated (or not) according to the tastes of the house's owners. Having never lived in the suburbs, Steve found it much more spacious compared to the cramped streets of New York and Brooklyn he'd grown up on.

'_The air's cleaner, too_,' he realized as he breathed in the scent of cut grass, flowers, and bark dust. There was still the undertone of exhaust from cars, but it was much less than New York.

"What did you say to them?" Steve softly asked, turning his gaze towards his girlfriend. "I mean, about me?"

She gave him a smile that bordered between extreme excitement and nervousness. "Well, they know that my new job is helping a soldier reintegrate back into the world, and that I like what I do. They also know that I'm dating the man I was helping."

Steve smiled as she blushed. "They didn't approve, of course, since it's kind of unethical in their eyes, but I think that as long as I'm happy with my life, they will be, too."

"But they don't know it's _me_," he stressed, keeping his voice down so that the driver couldn't hear him. Inside, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know what her answer would be.

"No, they don't know," Adena soothed him. "I just told them I was bringing you on my trip to meet them as part of your education process." She took his hand and squeezed it. "Now calm down; we're here."

For the first time in ages, Steve felt like he was going to be sick. He honestly hadn't known what to expect on this trip, but this meeting wasn't it. He couldn't help but feel like an outsider as the car drew to a stop and Adena leaped out, running up to a grinning man who swung her up in a tight hug as she cried out, "Daddy!"

* * *

In the time it took Steve to pay the driver and retrieve their bags, Adena managed to hug and kiss her parents, hug her younger brother, and tell them all how much she'd missed them.

"Cap, come up here and meet my folks," she called, motioning for him to join them on the front stoop. "You can leave the bags on the curb; no one's going to swipe them."

Swallowing hard, Steve took the fifteen or twenty steps it took to get to her. Shifting awkwardly, he let Adena introduce him to her family: Kathleen, her mother; her brother, Marcus; and, last of all, her father, Steve.

"So I guess you're the reason Adena insists on calling me 'Cap,'" Steve joked, shaking the older man's hand. "She said it was too odd calling me by the same name her father had."

The older Steve chuckled. "That's the sort of things she does," he replied. "I'm glad she found a good nickname for you, though. I'm assuming she chose that name because you're an Army captain?"

"Yup!" Adena put in, grinning as she took his hand. "So, now that you've met everyone, why don't I take you inside and show you around? Dad, can you get the bags?"

* * *

It was a nice house, he had to admit, with a nice, cozy kitchen and small eating area, a large open space that was a living room and dining room, and a den, where there was a large television and a very comfortable-looking brown leather couch.

"If you're going to stay here during your visit, I'm afraid we only have the one small guest room, since my son rents out the larger room," he heard Adena's father apologize to him.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Dad," Adena replied, waving aside his apology.

Steve immediately noticed that Mrs. Philips was giving them a suspicious look. "I guess I could make up a sleeping bag on the floor," she suggested, eyeing them closely.

Adena sighed and shook her head. "No, Mom, the bed will be fine for the both of us. _And_," she quickly stressed, "No, we haven't taken things that far, so don't you or Dad dare threaten my boyfriend! All we do is _sleep_ in the same bed; that's it."

Mr. and Mrs. Philips didn't look convinced, but they said nothing as Steve let Adena and her brother lead him into the living room, the older couple staying in the den for a whispered conversation that Steve probably didn't want to know the topic of.

"Sorry about that, Steve," Marcus quietly apologized. "Our parents aren't usually so wacky over stuff like this, but after what happened in New York, they've been terrified of something happening to my sister. It's been really hard for them to turn off the 'protective parent' instincts."

Adena rolled her eyes. "I _told_ them I was fine," she huffed. "And I like living in New York, even after the alien attack."

Marcus shrugged and gave her a knowing grin. "So, since you're all-knowing when it comes to The Big Apple, can you tell me if you've seen Tony Stark?"

"Oh, yeah," she said, smiling. "Cap and I go hang out with him every other weekend. I've even got Pepper Potts on speed-dial, so that we can chat about girl stuff whenever we're feeling bored."

Steve almost swallowed his tongue when she said that. He knew that their friendship with Tony was supposed to be kept quiet – it was a smart idea, considering that anyone associating with him might be thought to be one of the Avengers. For her to be so open like this, even with her family about something so sensitive…

Marcus laughed and reached over to give her shoulder a playful shove. "Good one, sis. Still, if you do ever manage to wrestle him into a corner, would you ask him for an autograph?"

Steve almost sighed in relief as Adena promised to do her best.

* * *

Seated in the den, Steve tried to keep his nerves from getting the best of him as Adena's family asked him about the alien attack on New York in an attempt to get another person's perspective of the whole event. He kept his lies simple, but believable: he said he'd fought with the local authorities and Army soldiers in order to keep innocents safe, and had even encountered a few of the Avengers in passing while fighting.

"So why the Army?" Marcus asked. "I mean, why not something else, like the Navy, or just staying an Ordinary Joe?"

Steve shrugged. "I wanted to help my country, and joining the Army felt like the only way to do it. Since I joined, I haven't really regretted much about it."

"You must have seen some horrible things, though," Mrs. Philips said, a look of sympathy on her face as she offered him a plate of cookies to go with the coffee he had in his hands.

Oh, yes, he certainly had, most of them occurring quite recently. But he could hardly tell them that those horrible events had involved Adena getting kidnapped twice by an alien, then by a possessed government agent.

"Mom, please," Adena quietly said. "Let's not talk about stuff like that. He's made a lot of good progress, and I don't want all of my work undone so quickly."

Her mother looked slightly ashamed. "You're right, sweetie; you've worked hard to help rehabilitate him." She looked over at him. "I'm sorry, Captain Rogers; I didn't mean to offend."

"Oh, it's alright," he assured her. "It's only natural that you'd want to ask."

Talk turned towards what other things Adena had been doing in New York, and again Steve had to hold his breath while she carefully wove some very nice and very believable lies for her family. She never once mentioned going on vacation in California, or hinted at any of the 'situations' she'd been in. When they began talking about what had occurred while she'd been gone, and what was for dinner that night, Steve let himself relax and enjoy his coffee.

Finally, Mrs. Philips took her son and daughter into the kitchen to help with the cooking and setting the table, leaving Steve alone with his girlfriend's father. When the others were out of earshot, Steve felt the older man giving him a close look.

"You know, I have to say that you look incredibly like someone I know of," Mr. Philips said. "So, would you let me ask you a hugely personal question, while my daughter is out of the room?"

Steve wasn't sure he could say 'no' to this kind of thing. "Sure, go ahead."

"I don't know if you know this, but my mother was a huge fan of Captain America," Mr. Philips said, getting up off of the couch and heading towards a large cabinet that sat close by. "Still is, actually. Anyway, Mom kept a huge stack of photos of the man, and when she was a teenager, she decided that her first-born son should be named after her hero."

He rummaged around in the cabinet for a few minutes, and when he turned back around, there was a large photo album in his hands. Looking at the dusty book, Mr. Philips grinned broadly, as though sharing an old joke. "My dad never knew why she wanted to name her son Steve, but he liked the name anyway, so here I am."

Rubbing a hand over the cover to remove some of the dust, Mr. Philips looked at it with affection. "When Adena was younger, she would go visit my mother for the summer, and while she was there, my mother would tell her stories about Captain America. Adena would then come back to tell me the stories all over again. My mother and her tales are quite possibly the greatest things my daughter and I have in common."

Steve had to swallow nervously as the book was brought over and placed in his lap, the album opened to a page with a clear photo of him, Steve Rogers, in his costume from his stage show. In it, he was looking off to the side, and clearly unaware that someone was photographing him. It should have confused him as to when and where the image had been taken, but he remembered the city and event. He even suspected who the photographer was, but in all likelihood, that person was probably no longer living.

"A remarkable resemblance, isn't it?" Steve Philips asked, eying him closely. "I swear you look just like him. Are you a relative of some kind, like a great nephew or cousin?"

Now, this was something Steve hadn't considered, and he bet that Adena hadn't, either. She had probably been so excited to visit her family that she hadn't thought that her father would remember the stories and photos shown to him as a child. Now Steve would have to do some damage control, and he was willing to bet that passing off his 'resemblance' as a coincidence wasn't going to do it. To save his identity, he'd have to lie, if it kept Director Fury and SHIELD from possibly getting involved.

"Yes, I am related to Captain America," Steve said aloud with a sigh. "A few generations removed, of course, but obviously the resemblance is there. I sometimes think that's why your daughter loves me, but I'm hoping that her feelings are more genuine than that, since I really do love her."

Mr. Philips eyed him _very_ closely, and for a moment, Steve wasn't sure his story would be believed. That's when Mr. Philips said, "Of course she loves you. Adena isn't some shallow girl who would date a man because he looks like her superhero. I'm sure you know she's got more sense than that!"

"Oh, I do!" Steve hurriedly told him. "Believe me, I do know _that_!"

To his relief, Mr. Philips laughed. "After spending so much time with her, yeah, you would." Then he sobered. "So you love her, huh? You'd better treat her right then, mister, or else. I'm trained in karate, and even though I'm thirty years out of practice, I still know several ways to break you in half if you hurt my baby girl."

Steve grinned. "Believe me, sir, I wouldn't have it any other way. I'll take care of her; I promise."

The other man relaxed just a _little_ bit. "I'll hold you to that."

The sound of a buzzer filled the air, signaling the start of dinner. Both Steve and his namesake turned towards the dining room, the silence between them an understanding one.

* * *

"So, what did you and Dad talk about while I was in the kitchen?" Adena asked him that night as they lay in bed, curled up and facing one another. "He didn't go all protective, did he?"

Steve chuckled softly. "Of course he did. Any good father would, in that situation. We talked about me treating you right, and how he would kill me if I didn't."

She sighed. "Well, I guess if he didn't kill you and wipe the floor with your face, it means he likes you. Granted, Dad likes most people, but I always imagined him hurting the first boy I brought home."

Steve looked at her. "I'm the first boy you brought home?" he asked, surprised but very honored.

"Why does that surprise you?" she asked in amusement.

He shrugged. "Given what a wonderful woman you are, I sort of assumed that you'd have had a few boyfriends before me."

She laughed a little, then smiled warmly up at him. "That's sweet, Cap, but I can promise that you are the first guy I've brought home to meet my family."

Good –that's how he liked it. The thought of another man with his arms around her was enough to make Steve see red. He was about to say so when a yawn escaped her lips, signaling it was definitely time for sleep.

Grinning, Steve reached out to pull her close. With her beside him, he might just survive this visit.

* * *

"Mom, will you _please_ stop giving me those looks?" I pleaded as I packed up my clothes for the trip back to New York. I loved being back at the "old homestead," as people said, and relished the quiet of the suburbs, but I was looking forward to returning to the bustle of the big city.

"I'm sorry, honey, but I'm just a bit worried, that's all," she said, handing me a shirt I had purchased during a shopping trip we'd taken. "I mean, being involved with a person in the military is so risky, and…it isn't what I imagined for you."

Oh. Well, I guess I could see her point, and if that was her main concern with me dating Cap, then I guess that could be a good thing.

"Mom, Cap is a good soldier, and an even better man," I assured her. "I know there's the chance he'll be hurt when he's called to fight, but I have faith in him and his abilities –I know he'll try his damn hardest to come back to me."

Mom's concerns aside, it had actually been a good visit. Dad had been on his best behavior when it came to being around Cap, but that might have only been when I was around them. On the other hand, Dad hadn't been giving my poor boyfriend any glares or threatening looks, so I took that as a sign that he approved of our relationship.

Marcus, of course, liked Cap because he was a good guy. I also highly suspected that my brother was thrilled with the idea of having someone close to his age to talk to about stuff and hang out with –though, technically, Cap was easily three or four times his age. Still, the two got along pretty well, and I liked seeing the two of them bond over 'guy stuff,' like sports and whatever movies I'd gotten Cap caught up on.

Mom, however, had been the most concerned about my relationship. I hadn't been able to figure out why, at first, since she'd kept saying it was nothing, but now that I was leaving, I guess she figured she'd better speak now, or be forced to hold her peace.

"I know he's a good man, Addie," she said, using a nickname that only she was allowed to call me. "He seems sweet and very attentive to you, but I just want to make sure that you know what you're getting into, if worst comes to worst."

Ah, moms; can't live with them, but you couldn't be here without them!

Smiling, I stopped packing and wrapped my arms around her. "I love you, Mom," I said. "Thanks for being all protective."

She chuckled and squeezed me tight. "I love you, too, sweetie. Just make sure you're prepared for whatever comes your way when you're hooked up to an Army man."

Trust me; after all I've already been through as Captain America's girlfriend, I was more prepared than she thought! '_Not that I can tell her that, of course_…'

"I'll be careful, Mom," I solemnly promised.

She grinned at me. "And if things get more serious, you'll tell me, right? First thing?"

"Mom!" I squeaked. "That's not going to happen anytime soon!"

My mother simply shrugged and gave me a smile. "Well, you can't blame a mother for trying… especially when she's eager to spoil some grandkids-"

I covered her mouth with both my hands. "Nope, you're not going to get _me_ with that argument! I know Marcus isn't in a hurry to settle down, but no pressuring me when I'm not ready!"

The two of us exchanged glances that were half amusement, half stubbornness, then burst out laughing, my hands dropping from Mom's mouth so that I could finish with the packing.

"Well, a mother can dream," Mom said, patting me on the back. "Now, tell me all about New York again. I want to hear more about the shopping, so that your dad and I have places to go when we come visit you."

Wow, wouldn't _that_ be a visit to look forward to. And I was willing to bet that Director Fury would have his hands full covering up a bunch of stuff if my folks ever did show up!

Plastering on a smile, I told her about the high-end shopping of 5th Avenue and Times Square, all the while praying that they didn't come to New York anytime soon.

* * *

AN: First stop: meet the parents. Anyone want to guess what the next step is? (wink) Please review!


	2. The Ultimate Step: Part 1

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Okay I'm going to be somewhat vague when it comes to the descriptions of some places in this chapter, because I don't want to appear to be "promoting" them in any way. If you're curious about some of them, I'll provide details if asked; other than that, I'm being purposely vague. Anyway, please enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to review! Thanks!

**Story #2: The Ultimate Step: Part 1:**

Staring out the hotel window at the blaze of lights, packed crowds, and sights that he'd never thought he'd see, Steve took a deep breath and tried not to be overwhelmed.

He'd remembered hearing about this place both before and during the War, though he'd never wanted to see it in person –friends of his had sent postcards and photos they'd taken while traveling across the U.S. on their adventures. In the photos, the place had looked very dull and boring, causing Steve to dismiss it as a place to go see.

But now, given how much time had passed, he had carefully researched the place as soon as he'd learned they were visiting, just to be prepared. The city was now nothing like the images he had seen.

"I'd read about this city and thought it would be dangerous, but it isn't," he said, looking over his shoulder at Adena. "The news articles and history specials made it seem like crime happened daily, but it looks safe enough."

Smiling, she came to join him in admiring the view. "Well, the mob did have a strong presence in the city for a long time, but that's been cleaned up –well, unless you believe in urban legends and rumors about it still running the place." She smiled up at him. "Now it's mostly known for gambling, fabulous food, excessive drinking, and entertainment. It's basically an adult's playground, where we can relax, have fun, and not worry unless we have to."

She must have seen the look of uncertainty on his face, because an instant later, a warm hand gently rested on his shoulder. "Don't worry; it's a pretty safe place, even if it looks chaotic. I've been here a dozen times, and never had a problem. Everyone's just trying to have fun, and they all can be friendly." She frowned a little. "Though the drunks can be a bit of a problem."

As she pulled away, Steve turned to look after her. "Drunks?" he asked worriedly as he heard her laughter coming from the bedroom.

* * *

"It was really nice of you to bring Adena and Steve along on this trip," Pepper said, pouring a glass of champagne for her charming boyfriend.

Tony grinned and accepted the glass, downing half of it in an instant. "Trust me; Las Vegas is a great place for the guy to unwind. Rogers has been looking frazzled the past couple months, ever since he went and met Adena's family. The man needs a vacation, even if I had to bully him into coming with us, and I'm sure Adena would agree with me."

"And they can both keep each other busy while we're at the tech expo," Pepper sly said, pouring herself a glass. "Though I think a place like Las Vegas can be a bit overwhelming for a guy of Steve's moral standing and history."

Tony shrugged. "The man needs to have some fun in his life, and Vegas is just the place to do it. Even if the poor guy can't get drunk, he can at least have some excellent food and see some shows with his girl while he's here."

His curiosity getting the better of him, he turned towards Pepper and casually asked, "I don't suppose Adena knows why Rogers is acting all wonky?" He knew his girlfriend wouldn't break her friend's confidence in her, but it couldn't hurt to ask, right?

Sighing, Pepper shook her head. "No; she only knows that Steve's been acting a little stressed. Adena thinks it might be because they went and visited her family and it shook him up a bit. Apparently Adena's father was named after Steve, so she felt that meeting his namesake might have thrown things a little. She's also increased the workload on his reeducation, so that might be part of what's going on with Steve."

"I doubt it," Tony remarked. "Much as I hate to say it, Rogers is a smart guy who can handle whatever lessons Adena can throw at him. It's got to be something else."

Pepper nudged him with her elbow. "Let's just leave it alone. I'm sure Steve can handle it, but if he can't, he'll ask for help." She reached out and picked up a black leather folder. "So, let's talk about the expo, shall we?"

Groaning, Tony set his mind to "work mode," though he was still determined to get Pepper to have some fun while they were in town.

* * *

"There are so many people," Cap commented as we walked down the busy street, blue eyes darting everywhere to take in the sights. "Is it always this busy?" Even though he was from New York, it was a probably bit surprising to see another city as busy, if not more so, as his hometown was.

"Usually," I replied, pulling him out of the path of a group of laughing and drinking young men. "It'll get worse at night, when everyone's going out to the nightclubs and bars."

He looked at the young men, who were each guzzling beer like there was no tomorrow. "I think they've started a bit early; it's only mid-afternoon."

I shrugged and pulled him towards another hotel and casino. "Come on; we'll have a snack here."

"I still find it hard to believe that you aren't making this up as we walk along," he teased as we followed a slim bit of sidewalk and headed into the building.

Laughing, I carefully led him through the twisting, huge building, talking as I walked. "I made it a point of memorizing as many of the hotels and their restaurant locations as I could. Since I've been here so often, it kind of helps to know where everything is, but I can still get lost in some places. It helps to know where you're going, and if you get lost, you can always ask the casino or hotel staff for directions."

After a few minutes, I finally found what I was looking for: a nice café that had tables spilling out into the wide walkways. We were quickly seated "outside" at one of the tables in the walkway, Cap facing one direction of the corridor, me facing the other. We'd only been in Vegas for a few hours, following the long plane ride on Tony's jet, and we were both starved. I'd insisted we eat lightly on the flight, so that we'd be good and hungry for the great eateries and restaurants in Vegas.

After a quick bit of friendly conversation with our waiter, Cap ordered a steak-and-lobster combination, which was much cheaper here than New York, while I went with a light tomato pasta dish and a salad starter.

Several minutes after the waiter had left, I saw a shimmer of pink, white, and blue behind Cap's head, the colors immediately catching my attention. "Oh, look, a wedding party!" I exclaimed, nodding in the direction of the group. "Aw, they look so happy!"

My boyfriend quickly turned around to look. "They do look happy," he admitted. "I think I saw a few others on our walk. Do a lot of people get married in Las Vegas?"

I couldn't help but laugh a little. "It's actually the marriage capital of the world." Cap looked skeptical. "No, seriously! Hundreds of thousands of weddings happen here every year. Some get married in elaborate ceremonies, some simple, and some are married in about five minutes."

Now he clearly thought I was joking. "Five minutes," he said, a disbelieving gleam in his eyes.

Going off of a history documentary I had seen on television a few months back, I then had to explain to him the history behind the 'quickie marriage' in Vegas dating back to soldiers wanted to marry fast, before heading overseas and to war. "They couldn't wait for blood tests and other legal stuff, so Las Vegas changed the marriage laws so that people could get married quickly. It was the least they could do for those men-in-arms."

I had to chuckle a little bit. "I think the system's a little _too_ convenient, since I've heard stories of drunk people waking up married to complete strangers, and getting divorced is more difficult than getting hitched."

That was when our food arrived, and as we ate, our conversation changed to what we'd be doing while we were visiting.

* * *

By the time they'd finished their meal and left the restaurant to explore the city, Steve had had plenty of time to think about the inner turmoil that had been stirring for months.

During that time, he had been going over where he wanted things to go with Adena, and his mind immediately went back to the day he'd first slipped into Adena's bed, just to be beside her and make sure she was real. That night, Steve had resolved that he wanted to take the ultimate step with her.

Once he'd woken up the next day, however, he had immediately dismissed the idea, believing that he'd simply been caught up in the moment of having his girl back, safe and sound, and that marriage at that point wasn't a good idea. He'd then felt that any further thoughts about deepening their relationship had been a childish belief -that if he did ask her to marry him, it would somehow (magically and unrealistically) keep her safe from harm. So he had pushed that idea to the back of his mind and tried to forget about it.

But after meeting her parents, Steve had begun to reconsider. He knew for a fact that Adena was the one for him –he liked waking up to this kind, sweet, funny, beautiful girl next to him, and found it hard to imagine not doing it every morning. He even liked how messy her hair was when she woke up, as well as the cute face she made in the mirror just before she tidied herself up for the day.

And now here they were in the marriage capital of the world, the two of them together while Tony and Pepper went off to work. Best of all, Adena knew all about it, and if he asked the right questions at the right time, she would unknowingly provide all of the information he needed in making things special for when he finally found the courage to-

"Oh, look, Cap, someone's proposing!" she suddenly exclaimed, pointing at a man kneeling before a woman in front of a faux volcano.

Well, if that wasn't an opportune moment for asking a question, he didn't know what was. "I wonder how long he was holding onto the ring before he asked her," Steve casually joked, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "It must have been burning a hole in his pocket, if he's had it for a while."

Adena watched as the woman accepted the proposal, and several tourists nearby applauded before moving on to other sights. "He might not have," she replied. "There are tons of jewelry shops where he could have gotten it, though most of them are expensive. Of course, they're expensive because they're the best quality, so they're worth the money."

He quickly went over the route they had walked in his head. "I haven't seen any jewelry shops."

She chuckled. "No, you wouldn't. The stores are inside the shopping malls that are inside the hotels. Since we've kept to the street, we haven't been inside to see them."

"The hotels have malls inside of them?" Steve asked in disbelief. Well, if they had restaurants, then why not malls? It would make them convenient, he supposed, and it certainly explained why some of them were so huge. It made him wish that he had looked into the hotels, too, instead of catching up on just the history of the city.

"Sure," Adena replied cheerfully. "Come on; I'll take you inside one."

Before he could agree, she took his hand and dragged him towards one of the larger properties, a two-storied building that had advertisements in large clear windows around it. Adena then proceeded to pull him through a set of glass doors, straight from the busy streets and into the bustling crowds of indoor shoppers.

* * *

If he weren't so focused on getting Adena to unknowingly answer his questions, Steve knew he'd have been overwhelmed for the hundredth time today. The amount of stores in this one hotel was impressive –the number and quality of jewelry stores even more so.

Now, Steve had seen jewelry stores before in New York, both back in his 'old days,' and in the new ones. He knew about Tiffany's, and a few other high-end stores, and about the back-alley stores that sold gold-plated metal bits that weren't worth looking at, much less wearing.

But here, Adena showed him places where jewelry cost more than a house! Sure, the diamonds looked perfect and shone brilliantly in the windows, but when she quoted prices to him, he thought she was joking. He'd heard about jewelry like this, but he'd never actually seen them –and given how poor he'd grown up, he'd felt he probably never would.

But sure enough, he managed to get a look at a few price tags that probably weren't supposed to be showing, and knew she was telling the truth. How was he supposed to afford something like that? Director Fury made sure he got a decent salary and his own apartment for free, but even with the money he had saved, getting a ring that was worthy of sitting on Adena's hand forever was going to be impossible.

Well, there was one man Steve knew who could afford things like this, but there was no way he was going to Tony for any kind of help with his situation!

"I wouldn't want anything that flashy, though," Adena was saying, getting his attention back from his thoughts. He hadn't heard what she'd been saying, but that one sentence was important.

He stared at her as he blurted out, "I thought all women wanted diamonds."

Adena shrugged as she watched a couple inside try on rings. Steve figured that they had been what she'd been talking about, when he hadn't been paying attention. "Diamonds are pretty," she admitted, "But why would I want a rock that I could use to signal planes with? I don't need it, and it only makes me an easy target for thieves. Any guy can walk into a store like this and demand a huge stone, which is kind of what I'd expect Tony to do, if he ever gets the guts to pop the question to Pepper."

When the couple inside found a ring that seemed to make the both of them happy, he watched as a soft, tender smile grew upon Adena's face. "But to me, a small, good-quality diamond in a unique, lovely setting means that the guy knows good taste, he knows the style his girlfriend would prefer, and that he put in a lot of thought into getting the ring."

Steve had to smile. That was exactly what he wanted to know.

* * *

"You're up to something," Tony said, pointing an accusing finger at him. Steve looked at him in surprise and slight panic as the other man continued, "You've got that look on your face that says you're thinking super-hard about something, but you're not sure what to do about it. Come on, spill it, Rogers. What's on your mind?"

He _really_ didn't want to talk about this kind of thing with Tony –after all, what would a playboy like him know about something like this?

'_Maybe Adena and I should have turned down their dinner and drinks invitation_,' Steve thought as he wondered how to get out of this mess. But Adena had wanted to come, and he wasn't going to stand in the way of her having fun.

"Rogers, if you don't tell me, I'm going straight to Adena and telling her that you've got issues," Tony half-threatened, half-teased. "And I have a feeling you don't want her to know you've got issues, because she'd be working her butt off to find out what's wrong with you."

There was no getting out of this. "Okay, okay," Steve admitted, looking around to make sure Adena wasn't close by. She was still chatting privately with Pepper, of course, but he wanted to be sure. "I do have a small problem." He cleared his throat. "I want to propose to Adena."

It was funny, watching Tony choke on his scotch as he sat up in surprise. "You _what_?" he managed to say after coughing and clearing his throat. "Are you sure?" After a second, he shook his head. "No, of course you are. Well, good luck with that one; there isn't much I can do to help you in that area."

Taking a sip of his drink, Tony looked as thoughtful as Steve probably did just then. "On the other hand," he drawled, "Pepper might be able to offer you a few tips. I'll find a way for her to talk to you alone while I distract Adena."

He grinned at Steve's relieved expression. "Don't worry, Rogers. Between me and Pepper, I think we can help you out."

* * *

"You want to _what_?" Pepper yelped, trying to keep her voice down. "Are you sure?"

Luckily, Adena couldn't hear them from the next room, where Tony was keeping her occupied with upgrades to JT. Hopefully, she would stay busy while Steve tried talking to Pepper about his problem.

He waited as Pepper took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Steve, I just want you to be sure about this. I mean, I know that you really do care about Adena, but if I know you and your sense of morality, divorce isn't exactly in your vocabulary. I want to make sure _you're_ sure that Adena is the one for you."

"She is," he said, without one bit of doubt. She was right about divorce not being something he believed in, but he knew that he and Adena were right together.

Eying him closely, Pepper seemed to realize that he was extremely serious in his answer. "Okay, I guess that's good enough. But what do you need from me? I'm pretty sure you can plan a romantic evening all on your own."

Shifting in his seat, Steve leaned forward, head hanging as he leaned on his elbows, hands clasped together as he rested his forehead on them. "I'm afraid she'll say 'no' if I ask her."

Slowly raising his head, he saw Pepper staring at him. "That's it? You're scared she'll turn you down?" Then, to his surprise, she burst out laughing. "Oh, Steve, I don't think you have anything to worry about."

He couldn't help but feel relieved -at least Pepper seemed to think that he was going to be alright. "What about Tony?" he asked. "What did he say when he told you I needed to talk to you?"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "He joked that if Adena turned you down, or if you weren't absolutely sure she'd marry you, you could always get her drunk, drag her to one of those instant marriage chapels and have her marry you that way."

Well, he certainly wasn't the sort of man who would do that to poor Adena! Though if she said 'no,' Steve wasn't sure what he would do…

"Well, first things first," Pepper said, reaching for her purse. "You need a ring, there happens to be a very nice jewelry store right down stairs, and I can think of worse weddings gifts you can get from a friend than cash…"

* * *

"Cap, are you okay?" I asked, looking over at him as we walked down the Strip. "You seem a bit distracted."

We had just finished the most wonderful dinner at a nearby hotel, but it was obvious that Cap's attention was far away. He'd barely managed to clean his plate (which he usually did in good time), and had been fiddling with his blue suit ever since he'd put it on. If it hadn't been tailored for him specifically, I'd be considering the idea that it might be too tight.

Worse, Cap kept trying to assure me that everything was fine, even when I knew better than that. I should have learned to stop asking, but if he was unhappy, then I was, too. I wondered if maybe this town wasn't agreeing with him, that maybe his sense of morality and the "sins" that Vegas had to offer, but since he had been enjoying himself only a day or so ago, I didn't think that was it. After all, the only things we'd done over the past three or four days was out to eat and sightseeing, nothing 'risqué' involved.

I immediately spotted the perfect area to drag him for a more thorough questioning. It was a large, quiet pool of water in front of an elegant hotel where a fantastic fountain show occurred every twenty minutes. Luckily, this was one of the quiet times, which perfectly suited my current situation.

Grabbing Cap by the arm, I pulled him over to an empty area close to the water. "Come on, spill it," I ordered as he tried to protest. "I know something's wrong, so you might as well tell me."

He swallowed hard, eyes nervously avoiding mine. That only made me more concerned –clearly he was hiding something from me, and since we almost never hid anything from one another, just knowing that he was doing so now hurt me.

Just as I was about to pressure him to talk to me, a soft melody began to play over the sound system speakers that hung around the fountain area. Cap's face went from nervous to 'confused' as the music got louder and lights began to illuminate the water, just before a graceful ballet of water began beside us. Then his expression went straight to 'stunned' at the beautifully enchanting sight.

For a minute, I forgot about my hurt feelings as the sound of the music and glowing, golden dance went on in front of my eyes. Beside me, Cap looked just as enchanted as he reached out and took my hand in his.

"It's beautiful," he whispered, pulling me close against him, his body a welcome warmth against the cool breeze that drifted over us from the fountain's spray. "And it's perfect."

"Perfect for what?" I asked, looking up at him in puzzlement. That's when I noticed that he was fiddling with his jacket again. "Cap, what are you-?"

That was when his hand emerged from his pocket with a small box tucked safely inside his palm. "Open it," he softly pleaded.

Almost choking on my tongue, I accepted the box. Excitement, worry, nervousness, joy, and fear all swirled inside me over what I suspected was inside that small package.

Forcing myself to swallow, I took the box and opened it, just as the fountains sent a tremendous burst of water into the air. Inside was a platinum ring, the band crafted into an intricate Celtic braid around a perfect heart-shaped diamond; on each side of the heart was a small triangle-shaped diamond pointing outwards. It was beautiful, elegant, and simple –exactly what I wanted in an engagement ring.

"Oh, Cap," I breathed, looking up at him. "Are you sure? I mean, _really_ _sure_?"

Smiling, he took the box and went down on one knee, the gesture making me swoon a little as he looked up at me with loving blue eyes that shone in the lights coming off the fountains. "Adena Philips," he whispered, "Will you marry me?"

Again, I had to swallow my tongue and hold back tears as I looked at him and answered, "Yes, Cap; I will marry you."

As he slipped the ring onto my left hand and stood, I heard applause all around us. Instantly, my face was red as I looked and saw a grinning crowd all around us –women actually dabbed at their eyes as their guys winked their congratulations at us. I even heard a few little kids asking their mommy or daddy if the "nice lady and the tall man were getting married."

"Oh, my gosh," I said, trying to hide my face in Cap's jacket. "I honestly don't know whether I should laugh, cry, or die of embarrassment!"

Laughing, he put his arms around my waist and lifted me up so that he could plant a kiss on my lips. "Well, to save you from embarrassment, why don't we go tell Tony and Pepper?" Cap quietly suggested as the fountains continued to dance and sway to the playing music. Gently putting me down, he turned towards the water. "After they finish, of course."

Smiling, I snuggled against him. "Of course."

He was right: it was perfect.

* * *

AN: Review?


	3. The Ultimate Step: Part 2

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Hello, all! Just a quick announcement: I will not be updating next week, because I'll be out of town, with no access to a computer. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a couple weeks before I post again; sorry. In the meantime, please enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to review.

**The Ultimate Step, Part 2:**

"Oh, my God!" Pepper cried, squeezing me tightly. "I'm so happy for you!"

It was the third time she'd said it, and really, I was happy that she was happy for me. Tony, meanwhile, was rolling his eyes and putting drinks onto a tray to pass around. "Yes, we're all thrilled for them," he said, offering me a glass of bubbling champagne. "But the real questions are: when's the date for the big event, and are Pepper and I invited?"

My excitement quickly cooled as Cap looked over at me. My stomach churning, I slowly replied, "Well, I'd love for the whole gang to be at my wedding, but I don't think Director Fury would like the idea. I mean, how would I explain friends like Tony Stark to my parents? They don't even know that I know you! And as for the rest of the Avengers, I doubt that Thor could make an appearance, even if he wanted to."

"Director Fury probably wouldn't want to risk his best assassins and spies exposing themselves at a public event, even if it's a friend's wedding," Tony put in. "Not to mention how you'd explain _them_ to the folks!"

Crap, he was right. I could _try_ and pass my SHIELD friends off as people I'd met in New York, but Natasha moved like an assassin sometimes, even when she wasn't aware of it, and that might get her noticed in all the wrong ways. Barton I wasn't sure of, but given all the training he and Natasha had gotten, it was hard to take the "spy" and "assassin" out of a SHIELD operative.

"We could get married here," I said aloud, getting everyone's surprise and attention.

"What about your family?" Pepper asked, looking worried. "Don't you want them at the ceremony?"

I thought about it. "I do, but there's something I ought to tell you." Clearing my throat, I turned and looked Cap in the eye. "My family is huge. My folks are the oldest kids in their families, and they have quite a few younger siblings. That means _lots_ of aunts, uncles, and cousins; not to mention other family members that my dad's brothers- and sisters-in-laws brought with them. Plus, we're all fairly close. If we were to have a traditional wedding, there'd be so many people I'd fear I'd bankrupt not only my parents, but us as well."

I saw the skepticism on my fiancé's face and frowned. "I'm serious!" I retorted, pulling JT out of my pocket. "JT, can you access my private computer back in New York?"

"Yes, Miss," my computer said. "And may I offer my congratulations on such a joyous event?"

Chuckling, I accessed my home files on JT's screen. Finding what I was looking for, I pulled it up and found the picture I was looking for. "Tony, can I put this on a large screen somewhere?"

He pointed out the TV over the fireplace (though why giant penthouses needed fireplaces in a desert environment was beyond me). I quickly swiped the screen and the image appeared on the immense television, the sight of which caused jaws all around to drop.

"See? That was our family reunion a couple years ago," I said. "And those are just immediate family members, like my dad's siblings, their spouses, and all of their kids. If you include my grandmother's children-in-laws' parents, and a bunch of relatives that I've never met but only heard of, we'd need to rent a massive place to hold the ceremony and reception."

By now, Cap was looking a bit pale. "So, a Las Vegas wedding?" he said, looking a bit more hopeful about the idea. "I think that might work, if we can get the others to come."

"On it," Pepper said, pulling out her own phone. "I've got Phil's number, and Bruce Banner's. Natasha's got Agent Barton's, so that's almost everyone." She looked at me. "Did you want to invite Director Fury?"

That was when JT beeped at me. "Miss, a message from Director Fury," he said. "Given his quick response, it would not be surprising if he had observed your proposal through the long-distance observation he had promised to keep on you."

Sighing, I accepted the call. "Hello, Director," I politely greeted him.

"Adena," he replied. "I saw your little 'show' earlier. Someone actually posted it online, but we quickly took it down –for privacy purposes, of course."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course. So, does that mean the good Captain and I have your blessing? You aren't going to send a fleet of agents in to break us up, are you?"

To my complete surprise, he actually chuckled. "No, nothing like that. I would just like to congratulate the both of you, and say that if you would like to have Agents Romanoff, Barton, and Coulson at your ceremony, you have my permission to invite them." He paused. "Whether or not they'll be able to make it, however, is another matter."

This was just too good an opportunity to pass up. "Actually," I said, looking over at Cap, "That's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about…"

* * *

"I have to admit," Natasha said, watching Pepper help me with my dress, "This is the first time I've been invited to a normal wedding." She paused a moment to think. "Well, as normal as a gathering of superheroes at a wedding can get, anyway."

"So, pretty normal, then," I joked as Pepper finished zipping me up.

We all laughed as I was pushed towards the makeup chair, where my two female friends would try and make me presentable. Thankfully, they kept it light; both of them knew I hated makeup, but since I was getting married, I wanted to look somewhat decent.

"I still don't know how you managed to find dresses so fast, Pepper," I said as one applied eye shadow and another touched up my foundation.

After four days of frantic planning, shopping, and calling, the whole event had come together surprisingly well. I primarily had to thank Tony for everything, because if Tony Stark's friends want to get married discreetly at a hotel, things get done pretty damn fast! Granted, Pepper had been the one to do all the calling and arranging, but throwing around the fact that Tony's name tended to get super-fast results.

And even though Pepper offered to put the whole thing together for me, I decided to get involved, so that everything came together the way I imagined it inside my head.

The results were a simple, but pretty, arrangement for the ceremony, reception, and outfits.

We would have the ceremony in a small, private area of the hotel, with white roses and elegant white and gold silk hangings along the walls. Natasha and Pepper were both in emerald-green satin dresses, which matched both of their hair, and all of the men (except two) were ordered to wear green vests and bowties.

One man who wouldn't be wearing green was Cap, who would instead be wearing dark blue, to bring out the color of his eyes and hair. The other man who wouldn't be wearing green, or even a tuxedo, was Director Fury himself.

It was honestly quite by accident that the Director was involved in my wedding -or maybe it was even on purpose, on his part. When Pepper had called Phil Coulson to invite him to the wedding, I'd quietly asked her to pass Phil the message that Director Fury was welcome to attend as well, if he could get away. I'd seriously thought that the Fury would just send a nice card, or a message through Phil or Natasha, but when he showed up out of nowhere, it kind of freaked me out a bit. I can only imagine how the hotel staff felt when they saw him, but I guess they'd probably seen weirder, given that this _was_ Vegas.

The ceremony would be conducted by, of all people, Director Fury. Tony had wanted to do it, but I think he was just joking. I'd actually asked Bruce Banner if he'd be willing to conduct the affair, and he'd been somewhat willing, but he consented to giving me away at the altar. When Director Fury declared that he was probably the one with the most authority to make the whole thing legal, Cap and I agreed to let him do it. I wasn't sure how I felt about having him stand there in his black leather jacket and eye patch, but I guess it could have (somehow) been worse.

"Are you nervous?" Natasha asked, straightening out my dress as I got to my feet. "You're shaking."

Taking a deep, shaky breath, I had to admit I was, in fact, nervous. "Yes, but I'm also excited. I'm getting married to one of the sweetest, nicest guys in the world, after all."

Both women chuckled as they each took a hand; Pepper to put my bouquet in my hand, and Natasha to give my fingers a reassuring squeeze. I gave them both a grateful look and let them lead me down to the little room that would serve as our wedding chapel.

* * *

"Jeez, Captain, stop fidgeting," Clint whispered, nudging him in the side. "Take a breath and relax!"

Phil actually chuckled. "He should be nervous; the guy's getting married!"

Tony, meanwhile, gave them an amused look. "Give him a break, guys. It can't be easy standing here, waiting to see if the love of his life decides to make a run for it."

"I think that's enough," Director Fury put in, glaring at all of them with his single eye. "The poor man's got enough going on without you three making it worse."

Thankful for his interference, Steve gave the Director a grateful look as he tried to adjust his vest and tie. He'd wanted to wear his dress uniform, but since anyone in military garb attracted much more public interest than the typical groom, he decided against it.

"Head's up," Tony whispered, getting Steve's attention. Nodding towards the door, he muttered, "If I wasn't dating Pepper, I'd say you were a _very_ lucky man, Rogers."

When he saw Adena standing in the doorway, her white gown shimmering in the golden light of the room, Steve had to agree with him. Any guy could say that she looked like a princess, a queen or a goddess, but to him, she was the sweet, beautiful woman who'd agreed to be his wife. To him, she was perfect.

Her white gown was simple, with long sleeves, a trailing satin skirt with a layer of shimmering sheer material over it, and a bodice fitting her curves in just the right places. Around her neck was the locket he'd given her, his emblem shining brightly in the hallow of her throat. A wreath of small white and pink rose buds sat atop her head, with a thin veil falling delicately from it over her face and hair. In her hands was a bouquet of white roses with soft pink edges that perfectly matched the blush in her cheeks.

Swallowing hard, Steve barely noticed Doctor Banner leading her up the aisle to where he stood. His bride's escort then gave Adena a swift hug and softly whispered congratulations before taking his front row seat, across the aisle from where Phil was perched. The two men were their "official witnesses," though the others were also going to sign the marriage papers, just to be safe. It would probably be one of the few documents in the world signed by many of Earth's greatest superheroes.

"Well," Director Fury said, looking at the two of them, "Let's get this started, shall we?"

* * *

No wanting to drag the whole thing out, Director Fury kept the ceremony short and sweet. Vows were exchanged, rings were slipped onto the correct fingers (though Cap's hands kept shaking as he put mine on my finger), and then I was finally allowed to kiss my anxious husband.

I almost squealed at that thought. I was a wife, the new Mrs. Steve Rogers! '_Dad would so freak out if he knew_!'

And of course, the second I pulled away from Cap's gentle kiss, we were both mobbed by our friends, receiving hugs, kisses, pats on the back, and a hail of congratulations from all of them. Cap didn't like it when Tony pressed a 'good-luck' kiss to my lips, but I rolled my eyes at him, clearly saying that Tony had only done it to get a rise out of him.

"Time to party!" Tony loudly declared, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me towards the door leading out into the hallway.

"Party?" I asked, knowing that Pepper and I had already planned out the reception. Meanwhile, my brain came up with the kinds of party scenarios Tony Stark, playboy and billionaire extraordinaire, might have put together behind my back.

Luckily, Pepper came up and pushed Tony out of the way so that she could put her arm through mine. "Don't worry; it's still just a private gathering. It'll be all of us, together, with some good food, nice music, and drinks."

Well, that was a relief! For a second, I'd imagined Tony throwing together something wild.

Realizing that my right hand had a death-grip on my bouquet, I immediately got a rather fun idea in my head. I turned towards Pepper. "I think you should have this," I said, offering the flowers to her.

A mischievous glint in her eyes told me she'd gotten my little joke, though Tony didn't seem so lucky. When it finally hit him, a sudden look of panic plastered itself across his face as he tried to get the bouquet as far away from Pepper as possible.

"Uh, why don't you wait to throw that until later?" he hurriedly suggested, trying to pull her away from me before she could accept the flowers.

I shrugged. "Because there's really no point," I told him in an innocent tone. "I don't think Natasha's interested in catching it, which means Pepper's the only single woman left. So she automatically gets it –and we all know what that means."

"He certainly does," Pepper replied, taking the flowers from me and pressing a kiss to my cheek. "Thanks, Adena."

Tony tried to protest, but was cut off by an amused Director Fury, who pulled him away, asking him about what was going to be served at the party. All around me, Phil, Barton, Natasha, Bruce and Pepper burst out laughing as Cap gave me a broad grin.

"Now, Mrs. Rogers," he said, putting his arm around my waist, "Let's go see how uncomfortable we can make Tony feel tonight, shall we?"

Laughing, I let him and our friends lead us to our wedding reception. It might have been small, but it was sure going to be fun!

* * *

Much, much later, I was securely wrapped up in Cap's arms, my head gently resting on his chest. It was a sleeping position that was typical for us, but this time it was different –this was our wedding night, and as such, we didn't have a layer of pajamas keeping us apart.

'_And I've got to admit, I like the feel of his bare skin under my cheek_.' It was much better than the soft cotton shirts he normally wore to bed.

"This is nice," he whispered into the dark of the room, his breath soft and warm as it drifted over my ear. I smiled as his right hand trailed up my arm, drew a circle on my shoulder, then went to settle back on my arm.

I didn't bother to say anything -I settled for a contented sigh as I began closing my eyes. Just as I began drifting off to sleep, I felt my doting husband shake me awake, causing me to groan as I opened my eyes and look up at him.

"We still need to tell your parents," he said, smiling slightly.

"Tomorrow," I firmly replied, then thought about it. "Actually, we'll do it in a couple weeks…or a few months. I'd like to enjoy being a newlywed for a while before facing the wrath of my parents, right before we get a downpour of well-wishes from my family."

Cap seemed to think about it for a minute, but I knew he agreed with me. "Okay; we'll wait. Getting constant well-wishes from our friends was more than enough for me."

I smiled, remembering all of the toasts, jokes, gentle teasing, and jabs being made at us by everyone. I'd even gotten a few gifts, which were passed onto me in private, away from Cap's eyes. There were silk sheets from Pepper, which caused me to blush; and a lacy nightgown from Natasha, which was now packed away in my luggage, for later use. I didn't want to know what Cap got, though I'm sure Tony probably picked the most embarrassing thing he could for him.

The more 'practical' gifts that were given to both me and Cap during the party included gift cards to various stores from Phil and Agent Barton. Bruce hadn't known what to get us, so he'd put together an electronic picture frame with a _huge_ amount of memory and an industrial-strength battery, so that we could keep replaying our wedding pictures. He also promised to make us more, in the future, a promise I happily accepted, since the frame he put together was infinitely better than anything in the stores.

Tony was willing to give Cap some "advice" for our first night together, but was turned down flat. To keep him from teasing Cap some more, Pepper was force to intervene, and Tony finally gave in and left him alone.

A gentle kiss pressed against the top of my head. "Go to sleep, gorgeous," Cap whispered. "We'll think about everything in the morning."

Chuckling softly, I closed my eyes and snuggled closer to him. '_I think I could easily get used to married life_.'

* * *

AN: Review?


	4. Parental Visitations and Confessions

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: I'm back, and with a new chapter! There will only be two more after this, and once this story is done, I'm going to be taking a bit of a break while I try and find the right plot-bunny to capture and write off of. So if you don't see a story for a while, don't panic –I'm just out catching plot bunnies.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and please don't forget to review!

**Story #3: Parental Visitations and Confessions:**

Looking in the mirror of my vanity, I saw how pale I looked and winced.

"I think I'm going to be sick," I confessed as Cap put an arm around me. "I mean, I'm looking forward to this, but now that I have to tell them face-to-face that we're married…"

My head resting against his shoulder, I sighed and closed my eyes as I tried to take a deep, calming breath. "We'll be fine," he whispered to me. "And they really do need to know about us."

He was right, of course. We'd been married for over a month, and I still hadn't told anyone outside our group of friends about it. Even my best friend back home didn't know, and I considered her a sister! '_Of course, she's also a gossip, so telling her would be a bad idea anyway_.'

After a quick honeymoon in Vegas, Cap and I had returned to New York and tried to settle in as husband and wife. It was a process that was easier than we thought –after all, we'd already lived together, and were bunking in the same bed, so we already knew each other's routines, likes, dislikes, and habits. The only thing that was different was that our nights together were much more…intimate.

Then, all too soon and completely out of the blue, my dad called to say that Mom and Marcus wanted to visit New York.

I honestly hadn't believed that my mother would visit the Big Apple -she watched _way_ too many TV crime dramas, and thought that New York was a place of crime and murder. When I'd first moved here to be with Cap, she'd honestly thought that I would end up becoming one of those TV episodes. That was not a major vote of confidence in me on her part.

But now my family was here, in New York City. They'd arrived late last night, and since they hadn't wanted to make me stay up late and pick them up, they'd simply gone to the hotel to sleep. I had, however, promised to meet them in the lobby of their hotel, so that Cap and I could take them to lunch.

"This is going to be a disaster," I whispered to my husband, when suddenly the urge to giggle almost overcame my nervousness. Being the new blushing bride that I was, I still occasionally had to fight the desire to squeal or laugh whenever I thought of Cap as my spouse.

He pressed a kiss to my hair. "It'll be fine," he assured me again. "Come on; we're late picking them up."

Sighing, I grabbed my purse and let him lead me out the door and down to the chauffeured car downstairs. After he'd found out about my family's imminent arrival, Director Fury had kindly agreed to provide a larger vehicle for us to get around in. I have no idea why he wanted to be so generous, but I had to admit that even though I'd planned to have my family walk around most of the time, it was nice having a car at our disposal.

When we arrived at the hotel, I took a deep breath. "Prepare for battle, Captain," I said, looking at my left hand, where my engagement and wedding rings sat.

He gave me an amused look. "It won't be that bad," he said, sounding amazingly confident.

Oh, well; he'd learn soon enough.

* * *

"Hi, Pumpkin," Dad greeted me as he let us into the suite. "And good afternoon to you, too, Captain Rogers."

Normally, they couldn't afford to stay in a suite, much less in one of the more expensive hotels, which this one was. However, once he'd found out my parents and brother were coming to visit, Tony had interfered by calling the hotel and having my family upgraded from two separate hotel rooms to a suite with two bedrooms and a great view. My folks didn't know how the upgrade had happened, of course –they thought it was complimentary, and were thrilled to get it.

"Dad, you can call him 'Steve,'" I reminded him as I stepped into the sitting area and flopped down onto the couch. "Or 'Cap,' if it makes you feel better." Dad had gone between the two when we'd been visiting, but hadn't decided on what, exactly, to call my then-boyfriend (now husband).

"Cap it is," Dad agreed. "Your mom's been napping on-and-off all morning, because of the time change." He and I both sighed and exchanged looks, knowing that Mom did _not_ travel well.

"How's Marcus?" I asked, looking around. He sometimes didn't travel well, either, and I worried that going from coast-to-coast would be harder on him than Mom.

"Here," my brother called from the smaller of the two bedrooms.

Dad rolled his eyes. "He's been trying to catch a glimpse of Iron Man all morning. I don't think he's left his seat at his window since we got back from breakfast."

Laughing, I reached into my purse and produced a manila envelope. "I guess he'll like what I've got for him, then," I said, loud enough for my brother to hear.

That instantly got him racing into the room –he loved getting stuff. "What've you got?" he asked, snatching the envelope from me as I offered it to him.

Carefully opening it, he pulled out the autographed photo of Tony Stark, and gaped. "You did it! You got his autograph!" he cried, tackling me on the couch to give me a huge hug. "Thanks, sis! I'll frame it and put it on my wall. My friends are going to be _so_ jealous!"

As he pulled away, Marcus caught sight of my left hand and grabbed at it. "No way; you're engaged?" he asked, amazed.

Dad stepped closer and took my hand, his eyes closely scanning the diamond ring and the gold bands that supported and surrounded it. "I think it goes one step beyond engagement," he said, his voice going sarcastic and slightly cold.

"Who's engaged?" Mom asked, coming into the room. I immediately winced when I saw her eyes go to my hand. "Oh, my God!" she cried as Dad turned towards Cap.

"Explain," he said firmly as Mom began cooing and exclaiming over my rings.

* * *

"…and so we got married in Vegas, because I didn't want to freak him out by gathering the entire family together and introducing him to them," I said, finishing up the story of our brief engagement and wedding ceremony.

Mom and Dad didn't look convinced, but Marcus was sitting there, nodding his head in understanding. "I totally get that," he said, giving his new brother-in-law a sympathetic look. "Dad's family in particular can be pretty intimidating, if only because there are so many of them. But they're all great people, and very warm."

Cap smiled at him in return. "Well, given how warm you and your parents have been, I can only agree with you."

"I still can't believe my baby is married," Mom said, getting teary-eyed. "And without me there to help plan it!"

I sighed. "Mom, I promise that I'll get you photos," I said, trying to placate her. "I'll mail a bunch to you as soon as you get home. If you want, we can have our own celebration while you're here; there are tons of fabulous restaurants in this part of the city."

"I think your mother and I both agree that it's very unlike you to do something like this without telling us," Dad said, eying me closely. "Are you pregnant?"

"Dad!" I cried as Cap's face turned red. "No, I'm not! And even if I was, we wouldn't get married just because of that. This isn't the 1800's; people don't do that kind of thing these days." I paused. "Well, some do, but not us. Cap and I love each other, we were in Vegas, and we decided to just go through with it. I know you're hurt and upset, but that's how we wanted to do it."

"Well, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission," Marcus said, his smile turning into a grin. "And I think we should celebrate!"

At that point, our stomachs all simultaneously growled, signaling it was absolutely time for lunch. We all shared a small laugh at our shared need for food and got to our feet. "Okay, let's go eat," Dad agreed. "But we want to hear every detail of the wedding while we eat, do you understand?"

"Yes, Daddy," I agreed, though Cap and I both knew we'd be giving a severely edited edition to them. "Should we ask for a private area at the restaurant downstairs? It might be a long meal."

* * *

It wasn't until lunch was almost over that I realized that all of my photos of the wedding were on JT, who sat in my purse. I hadn't brought him out of my purse when we'd visited my parents for fear of weird questions about it, and because I didn't want them to know I was friends with Tony Stark. I'd thought ahead that time, and had JT forward all my calls to a burner phone I'd bought for that trip.

Today I wasn't so lucky. My spare phone was at the apartment, and I didn't want to take my family there, because it was a SHIELD-owned building. The last thing I wanted my parents to know was that I was associated with a secret government agency, and have them figure out that Cap was Captain America! Director Fury would kill me –metaphorically or literally.

'_Maybe I'll pretend that I left my phone at home_,' I pondered. I could get away with that, right?

"Uh, Adena?" Marcus said from my right side, his eyes on my purse, which sat to his left. "I think your phone is going off. Your purse keeps buzzing."

'_Shit_,' I thought to myself. Out loud, I said, "Don't worry; I'll get it later."

"Well, if you've got wedding photos on it, you might as well answer it before showing us the pictures," Dad said. "Go ahead; we don't mind."

Biting back a groan, I reluctantly reached in and pulled out JT. As soon as Marcus caught sight of my computer-phone, his eyes went wide.

"That's so cool!" he exclaimed. "What kind of phone is that? I don't recognize the make and model." Since he was a specialist on cell phones, Marcus knew just about everything that was out there.

"No, you wouldn't," I replied, flipping JT open so that I could see who was calling. It was Tony. Shit, again. Pressing a button, I answered. "Hello?"

"So, how goes the day with the family?" Tony asked. I could almost hear him grinning through the phone. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Actually, yes, you are interrupting, and it's going well," I retorted. "Can I call you back later?"

Tony paused, obviously pretending to think about it. "Well, okay; but only if you promise lots of details later," he said. "Pepper will be curious about it."

I rather doubted that it was Pepper who wanted all the messy details of my day. "I'll talk to you later," I promised, trying to end the conversation before it was too late.

"Who is it?" Marcus asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Friend of yours?"

I nodded. "Listen, I've got to go," I stressed into the phone.

"Hey, is that your brother?" Tony asked, "The one I signed an autograph for?"

"Yes," I ground out, trying to keep my voice cheerful. "So, we'll chat later?"

"No, no, I want to talk to the kid," Tony insisted. "Come on, put him on the phone."

Nope, that was _not_ going to happen. "Sorry, I can't right now," I insisted right back.

"Adena, if you don't let me talk to him, I'll hack into JT and talk to them anyway. I just want to chat with the guy, so put him on, will you? Or put me on speaker. If he's half as wonderful as you are, I'm sure it'll be a great conversation."

"You just want to speak to a fan of yours," I retorted before I could stop myself, and instantly getting confused looks from those around me, including Cap. "Fine, but only because I know you won't leave it alone until you do."

"JT, speaker phone, please," I said, setting him on the table. "And keep the volume low." We might be in a private eating room in the corner, but that didn't mean I wanted the whole thing heard by the entire restaurant.

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied. "Speaker on and ready. I will adjust the volume levels as needed during the conversation, for privacy purposes."

"That's fine," I replied, trying not to acknowledge my family members' astonished looks while my brain tried to figure out ways to explain this to Director Fury later.

"Wow, that is so cool," Marcus said. "I've never seen a phone or computer like that before. Where can I get one?"

I managed a half smile, but just barely. "You can't get it anywhere. It was specially made for me, and only because I'd asked _very_ _nicely_."

"Not that nicely," Tony replied over the speaker. "But nice enough for me to make it for you." He paused for a second. "Greetings, Philips Family. This is Tony Stark, by the way."

Marcus stared at the computer. "Tony Stark? Adena, how the hell do you know Tony Stark?" He eyed JT closely. "Is this a joke? Am I being Punked?"

"No, you're not, though I could work out a nice prank to play on you," Tony replied in his usual cheerful fashion. "So you must be Marcus?"

I swear my brother looked as though he were going to faint from excitement. "Tony Stark knows my name!" he breathed, looking at my phone.

Sighing and rolling my eyes, I replied, "Well, I did tell him to sign a photo for you."

"Adena, how do you know Tony Stark, of all people?" Dad asked, staring at JT. "And why didn't you tell us?"

"I can answer that," Tony replied before I could even get my brain to think of an excuse. "See, I saved the poor girl during the fight in New York, and told her to take shelter in my building. When the fight was over, I wanted to make sure she was okay, and checked in on her. She said she was fine, and I let her go, though I made sure to get her name and number first, just so my assistant could check up on her."

"So you know Pepper Potts, too?" Mom asked excitedly. She thought Pepper was the embodiment of class, brains, and beauty, and loved reading articles on her. If she thought she could get away with it, she'd probably try and copy Pepper's makeup and sense of style.

"Of course," Tony said. "When my assistant called her up, she and Miss Philips got to chatting, and before I knew it, they were friends, and we were meeting up together with her and Captain Rogers for drinks every once in a while."

Again, I could almost hear him grinning. "And just to ease the mind of the good Captain, I put together this handy little computer, so that she had some way of getting help if she ever got into a tight spot. The poor guy tends to worry a whole lot about her, for some reason."

Dad glanced over at me. "I can guess why," he replied. "People tend to worry a lot about the people they love, and it makes them do crazy things."

Looking back at JT, I felt my cheeks turning red, as though I'd been caught doing something naughty. "Well, I think that's enough of that," I rushed. "I'll call Pepper later and let her know how things are going, Tony. Thanks for calling!"

"Sure," he replied, the humor evident in his voice. "Have a good time, everyone!"

When the call ended, I tossed JT back into my bag, immediately feeling the intense stares of my family as Cap reached over and put a comforting hand on my arm.

"You know Tony Stark, and you never said anything?" Marcus asked in disbelief. "And Pepper Potts! You could have asked for a job at Stark Industries, and you didn't do it?"

"I didn't want a job at Stark Industries," I calmly replied. "He did offer me one, but I refused. If I had accepted, Cap and I wouldn't have fallen in love, and I wouldn't be married to my husband right now. So think about _that_, before you condemn my life choices."

That effectively stopped Marcus from going any further, but from the looks on their faces, Mom and Dad obviously wanted me to march right up to Stark Tower and ask Tony for a good job, either for me or for Cap –or both.

"And there is no way I'm going to exploit my friendship with Pepper and Tony by asking for a job," I told my parents. "I'm happy with what I do for a living, and Cap and I both get paid enough by the government to live comfortably off of, so we're doing well."

The tone of my voice told them not to push it, but both looked ready to deliver a sound lecture. "And no, I won't change my mind, so don't even try to pressure me to. If you try, you can forget about seeing me for the rest of your trip, because I don't want to spend our time together arguing."

That shut them all up, and after a few minutes of awkward silence, we signaled for a waitress to bring us the dessert menu. After we ordered and received our sweet finishes to our meal, Marcus leaned over and whispered, "Can you ask Tony if I can fly around in his suit? Because I totally think I could fit into it."

I almost spat my ice cream out and instead ended up choking it down while Mom lectured him on table manners. When I was calm again, Dad asked what was on the agenda for today.

"I was thinking Central Park, and if we have time, we can take you guys to 5th Avenue for some shopping," I suggested, trying to keep the tone light as we finished dessert.

Mom instantly perked up, while my brother rolled his eyes -like most men, he hated shopping. But since this was New York, I hoped that he'd like it better here than at home.

"Sounds good," Dad replied, stealing a large spoonful of Mom's tiramisu and earning a smack on the shoulder for his efforts. "You lead, we'll follow."

And so began my two week-long job of playing tour guide and part-time hostess.

* * *

"It's a bit strange, having family again," Steve said, the night after his new in-laws had flown back home. "Mine died when I was young, so it's hard to remember what it was like."

Snuggling closer to him in their bed, Adena squeezed him in a hug. "Why didn't you say anything before?" she whispered. "I mean, while we were lugging my parents to Broadway, to the museums and the Empire State Building, why didn't you tell me you were uncomfortable?"

"Because it wasn't really that bad of a feeling," he replied, pulling her close. "It's nice having parents to fuss over me again. And I never had siblings, so having a brother-in-law is a new experience for me. I kind of liked having them around."

And he had. Marcus was fun to talk with, and since the two of them had never had brothers of any kind, they had quickly become close. Even Mr. Philips had become a bit for a father figure -he'd told Steve to call him if he needed advice about anything and everything.

"After all, we're family now," the other man had said, slapping him on the back. "Anything you need, you call, and don't you be afraid to visit us."

"It really will be wonderful to have you both over for a long visit," Mrs. Philips said enthusiastically. "Maybe for Thanksgiving or Christmas -or both?"

Before they'd left, Adena had promised to visit for the holidays, if the weather permitted. And since they had SHIELD resources, as well as Tony on their side, Steve was fairly sure they'd have a reunion together sooner rather than later.

Beside him, his wife laughed. "Well, it's still nice to be on our own again. You can only stand to have family around for so long, and having peace and quiet is just what we need after so much excitement."

He couldn't argue with that. For all their friendliness, it had been irritating that his new in-laws were still upset about Adena hadn't told them she was getting married. Their anger had faded quickly, but not completely, even after she had given them a carefully tailored story about their wedding ceremony, and provided a few photos from the event. Most of the pictures had the other Avengers in them, and were safely tucked and locked away; the ones of only him and Adena were the ones that sat framed and scattered around their apartment, and which had been given to her family.

As his eyes began to drift shut, Steve felt her poke him gently in the side. "Uh, Cap?" she whispered, getting his attention. "I need to tell you something." She paused. "Do you remember when Mom and Dad asked to talk to me privately a few days ago?"

He did. That had been three days ago, while he and Marcus had been watching a football game on television in their suite at the hotel. Adena had been gone for a good twenty minutes, and come back looking resigned and tired while her parents looked slightly satisfied. Steve had instantly become suspicious, and had asked about it, but Adena told him not to worry and that she'd tell him 'later.'

It seemed that 'later' had finally come.

"Mom and Dad said that they'd be willing to forgive us for eloping if we did two things."

Steve waited for the other shoe to drop.

"We have to tell both sides of the family, and go and visit them, in person, to get their well-wishes."

Wonderful -it looked like he would be having nightmares for a while.

* * *

AN: Review?


	5. Acceptance

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: One more chapter/story, and then it's the end. I've managed to catch a plot bunny or two, but which one will pop up on the site is kind of a tough decision for me. Keep an eye open for it, though, and as soon as I've gotten a roll on writing my new story, I'll post. That might not be for a few weeks (damn real life!), but I'll post as soon as I can. Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Story #4: Family**:

"Do you remember the times when I said something was my worst nightmare?" Cap asked, watching the houses and trees go by.

I looked over at him. "Yes. Why?"

"Because I've changed my mind," he replied as our cab pulled up in front of a large house, one of only two on the tiny town block. "_This_ is my worst nightmare."

Laughing, I took his hand in his and pointed towards the house. "Courage, Captain. We're here."

I had to bite back another laugh as his eyes widened. "It's huge," my husband whispered as we pulled to a stop. "The other place is even bigger!"

I'd told Cap about how big the house was before we'd come, but he hadn't believed me. I'd also given him the history of the place, about how my aunt's house had once been the stable to the Victorian mansion next door, which was a three-story monster of a home that had lost much of its grandeur. A decade or two before I was born, the mansion's stable had been converted into a house by my aunt's in-laws, who had liked it for how spacious and airy it was. The then-rundown stable was almost as big as the mansion, since it'd had room for a hayloft, several horses, and a couple carriages for the mansion's owners.

The end result of the stable's renovation had been that not only did it _look_ big from the outside, but it actually was big on the inside. The hayloft had been converted into several bathrooms and bedrooms, so there was plenty of space for guests to sleep, either in the guest rooms upstairs or on the incredibly comfortable couches in the living room and den downstairs.

And since the house was so big and could hold a good crowd of guests, it was the location of choice for our family reunions. Needless to say, the neighbors found it either annoying or amusing whenever we all grouped together here.

The driver of the cab looked amused. "Introducing the boyfriend to the family, huh?"

"Husband, actually," I replied with a smile. "And no, the family doesn't know about us yet."

I was willing to bet that they didn't know I'd gotten married, though Dad had probably told them that I had a boyfriend. My grandma was either going to be thrilled, or she'd kill me –she could be a little unpredictable that way.

Our driver chuckled and shook his head. "Well, if my little girl brought home a surprise husband, I don't think I could guarantee what condition he'd walk out of the house that night," he joked.

That actually made me smile a bit, though Cap didn't look amused as the cab pulled up to the curb. The driver immediately began to get out, but I stopped him. "I'll pay him while you get the bags," I told my husband. "I'll be out in a second."

After the bags were unloaded and the driver paid, I stood next to Cap on the porch –him clenching his fists in anxiety while I tried to be more sympathetic and not to laugh. "Let's go in, shall we?" I asked, reaching for the doorknob.

He reached out and grabbed my hand. "Shouldn't you knock, first?" he asked.

I looked at him in amusement. "Listen carefully to what's around you. What do you hear?"

Cap tilted his head as he did what I asked. "I hear a lot of people talking and laughing, but not from inside the house."

"Exactly!" I cheerfully told him. "They aren't inside; they're around back. We'll go in, set our stuff down out of the way, and go join them."

I didn't give him the chance to reply -I simply reached out and opened the front door, knowing it would be unlocked. Given what a safe neighborhood this was, I knew for a fact the door would be open. Of course, I also knew that my aunt was friends with the local fire and police departments, so that probably helped keep her place extra-safe in a neighborhood with an extremely low crime rate.

"Adena, I really think we should wait for them out here," Cap insisted as I picked up my two bags and hauled them inside, leaving him on the front step. "We shouldn't go barging into your aunt's house without her knowing we're here!"

I rolled my eyes and motioned for him to come inside, where it was significantly cooler. "Cap, she and my entire family know that I'm coming," I replied. "They also know I'm bringing a guest –they just don't know who it is yet. So get in here, and close the door; you're letting all the cool air out."

Seeing that he was going to lose this argument, Cap sighed and did as I asked, shutting the door as he put the bags to one side, out of the way. "Now what?" he asked.

In the silence of the foyer, I heard voices laughing, talking, shouting, and giggling out in the backyard. "It's time to meet the other half of my family," I answered with a grin.

* * *

As he'd said before, Steve felt that this was one of his worst nightmares. He'd thought meeting Adena's parents and brother had been intimidating –this was far worse.

He'd already met one half of Adena's extended family: to be specific, her mother's side. They'd welcomed him into the family with open arms, hugs, kisses, and large meals at restaurants -since theirs was a large group of people, it meant they needed equally large amounts of food. They'd taken him around the city, shared family gossip and history with him, and made him feel as though he'd been part of the family for years, not months. They had been friendly, but reserved, and always tried to keep a bit of personal space between them and him, a clear indication that they valued privacy.

Now he was going to meet the other half of Adena's family, and the one he was most dreading meeting: her father's side, most of whom had likely grown up with stories about him. The thought of facing a room full of strangers who would look at him and assume he was his own grandfather or great uncle tied his stomach in knots.

At least he and Adena had worked out a back-story for him, in case any questions came up. They'd worked long and hard creating and memorizing details, but even though he'd passed meeting one part of the family, that didn't guarantee that he'd make it through unscathed with this one.

'_Especially since they don't know that Adena has been dating anyone, much less gotten married_.'

"They're good people," Adena had kept assuring him over the past several weeks. "They're friendly, open, and warm, and I can tell you that some of my best summers were spent with them. They've also welcomed my cousin's husbands, so I'm sure you'll be fine!"

He still didn't like barging into the house like this. It felt wrong to simply open the door and walk in, but Adena seemed to be used to it, so he decided to follow her lead.

Through the kitchen they went, to the back door, and looked straight out into chaos. There were a _lot_ more people here than with her mother's side of the family, and quite the opposite of them. Adena's mother seemed to come from a quiet, reserved family, and although she had a number of aunts and uncles, Adena had very few cousins.

Here, there were aunts, uncles, and cousins all scattered around the large patio and throughout the large backyard, with several young children running around the yard throwing balls or swinging on the swing that dangled from an immense tree. An old woman seated at a round patio table seemed to reign over the whole crowd, because there wasn't a minute that went by without someone offering her food, drinks, affectionate smiles, and all kinds of conversation.

From his place in the shadows behind a wood-and-glass back door, Steve observed all this, and decided to hang back while his wife went to meet her family members.

As soon as Adena stepped out onto the porch, all attention swung her way. For a second, the world went quiet, and Steve stood there, wondering if something had gone wrong. He was about to go see when a group of older women rushed forward, crying Adena's name and wrapping her in tight hugs as they pressed affectionate kisses to her cheeks. One of them commented that she was 'too skinny' and needed to eat more, while others asked if she wanted anything to eat or drink.

Once the women were finished fussing over her, the young adults closer to her own age greeted her, though much less enthusiastically. A few girls came to give her hugs and smiles while others waved from across the large backyard. Most of the men, both younger and older, simply waved from where they sat or stood, but there were a few who came to offer their own hugs.

"Hi, Grandma Caroline!" Adena said, rushing to greet the old woman where she was seated.

"My sweet Adena," the woman said, both giving and receiving a hug and kiss. "How are you?"

Still standing inside and out of everyone's line of sight, Steve had to smile at the open affection and closeness that was between his wife and her grandmother. The old woman clearly regarded Adena as a favorite amongst all the young women there.

Deciding to take a risk, Steve took a small step towards the door and peeked outside. That was when the old woman turned her head and caught sight of him, her pale blue eyes going wide as her wrinkled face paled. "Oh, dear God," she gasped. "It can't be!"

That's when it fully hit him: this old woman had idolized Captain America since she was a young child. Now here he was, and no matter how many years had passed, she clearly recognized him.

Everyone immediately grew concerned and followed Caroline Philips' line of sight as Adena came to the door and offered her hand to him. "Come on," she whispered. "It'll be okay."

Taking her hand, Steve stepped outside into the warm sunshine. Eyes adjusting to the bright light, he looked around and saw more than a few jaws drop on the faces of the older adults. Some of the younger ones seemed to recognize him, but a lot of them looked confused or curious.

"Everyone," Adena said loudly to the crowd around them. "This is Steve Rogers. And he's my husband of four months." She showed them their left hands, complete with wedding rings, as proof.

Steve waited for several long, anxious seconds while that news sank in. Then, without warning, he was caught in a flood of warm hugs, kisses, chiding words, cries and protests of outrage, and words of welcome.

* * *

"Well, that was interesting," Cap muttered as we began unpacking our luggage.

After being flooded with warm affections and congratulations (as well as lectures on how I should _not_ have run off and gotten married without telling anyone), Cap and I had been grabbed by my Aunt Marianne and dragged upstairs, who very effectively kicked out a set of girl cousins bunking together in one of the guestrooms so that Cap and I could have it.

I felt terrible about my cousins now having to sleep on couches (or worse, the floor) because of me, but my aunt simply waved away my concern and told me not to worry about it. "They'll live," she said. "Besides, you're newlyweds, and you're family –we can't have you staying at a hotel or on the floor!" She'd given me a sly wink when she said that last part, causing me to blush at what she was suggesting.

Actually, we'd rather have had a hotel room, if only for privacy's sake. But I didn't want to offend my aunt's hospitality (especially when she was such a great cook!), so I agreed that we'd stay. Cap seemed a bit surprised and uncomfortable with the decision, but he seemed to trust my judgment when it came to my family, and agreed to stay at my aunt's house.

"I thought your grandmother would faint when she saw me," Cap continued as he put his clothes into some of the empty dresser drawers.

"She nearly did," I agreed. "I'm glad they agreed to wait for explanations until after you and I settled in and have some lunch. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry!"

Cap's rumbling stomach agreed with me, so we after we'd unpacked half our stuff, we headed downstairs to raid the food that had been laid out. We'd actually arrived at the house just after the others had eaten, but there was still quite a bit left, and all of it yummy sandwich fixings! Once Cap and I had built our sandwiches and added piles of chips to the plates, we were ushered to our chairs and offered beer, wine, soda, plain water and sparkling, and fruit juices by my aunts, who insisted on pouring our drinks for us while we ate.

"Okay, so spill," my uncle David said, pointing at me. He wasn't upset or angry –he was just a huge fan of gossip, like my Aunt Christina, who was his wife. "What's this about you being married?"

So once again, I had to tell a story about Cap being an Army captain who needed help getting reintegrated into the world, and that I'd been hired to be the one to help him. I told them about being in New York during the alien attack (which they already knew about, thanks to the e-mails I'd sent to all my family members after the event), and about Cap doing a soldier's duty and fighting in the battle.

After a while, my cousins all got bored with the conversation and drifted off to either take naps, play with their phones or video games, or to go stretch out on the lawn. This effectively left me and my husband alone with my aunts, uncles and grandmother, who all gave us their undivided attention.

"Eventually, we started dating, and one thing led to another, and then…." I shrugged and offered up my left hand so that everyone could look over the platinum engagement and wedding rings sitting there. "When we were on vacation in Las Vegas, Cap proposed, and we up and got married. Since I didn't want anyone to break the bank to pay for a wedding reception, I figured it'd be easier to get married and beg forgiveness later."

My aunts sighed and rolled their eyes in disapproval, but it was only half-hearted at best. After I produced some photos on my phone (_not_ JT), however, they forgave me and instead focused on cooing over the images of Cap and I in our wedding attire.

My Uncle Gregory, however, focused his eyes on Cap's face and scowled. "You know, I have to say that you look a lot like a favorite hero of my mother's."

I rolled my eyes and gave a sigh of exasperation that half real, half acting. "Yes, we know. I'll come right out and tell you right now that my husband, Steve Rogers, is distantly related to the Captain America from World War II. He knows that he looks a lot like him, but that's due to family resemblance and him being in the 'family business' of joining the Army. And no, he is _not_ in any way connected to the new Captain America that popped up to fight the aliens in New York City. They may have both fought during the invasion, but they're two completely different men."

I looked over at Grandma. "So there won't be any asking for autographs, no matter how hard you beg, because he's not him."

Everyone laughed and nodded their heads as they accepted my story –everyone, that is, except for my grandmother, whose eyes never left Cap's face. She didn't look skeptical of the story, though –she simply had a glow in her eyes, the type a girl would give to a hero she adored and just been given the chance to meet him.

After Cap and I had finished eating, I introduced him to the family members that were seated around the table. Even without my cousins present, there were _a lot_ of them, and even with Cap's quick-mindedness, I knew it would take him a while to put names to faces.

Somehow, we managed to get through the afternoon, the two of us talking with everyone about New York, the alien attack (they all wanted a first-hand account of it from my own lips), and my wedding ceremony. Dinnertime came and went, with Aunt Marianne and her husband Jeff producing a stunning barbeque spread for everyone to help themselves to. Afterwards, we adults sat with our glasses of alcoholic drinks and watched as the youngsters ran around the yard with glow sticks, yelling and screaming as Uncle David chased them around, roaring that he was going to get them.

Grandma Caroline, who was perched in a chair beside Cap, reached out and patted his arm, getting my attention as well as his. "If you're related in any way to Captain America, young man, I know you'll treat my granddaughter right," she said. "My mother's friends said he was a good man, and I know Adena would never pick a man who wasn't good to her."

Cap looked touched. "Thank you, ma'am," he said, blushing slightly in the fading sunlight.

"Oh, you can call me Grandma," she said, smiling at him. She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Would you like to see my Captain America collection? It's quite impressive. I plan to pass it on to Adena before I go."

Darling man that he was, my husband smiled as he looked at her with kindness and affection. "I would love to see your collection."

From the way my grandma and my family looked over at him, I knew that did it: he had honestly won them over. He was officially part of the family.

* * *

AN: Review?


	6. Leaving the Past Behind

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: So, this chapter is a bit of wishful thinking of my part. After all, who wouldn't want to show up at their high school reunion with Captain America on their arm?

Anyway, all the names in this chapter have been made up by me, so any resemblance to a real person's name is by pure coincidence. Please enjoy this final part of my stories involving Captain Steve Rogers and Adena, and I hope to see you at the next story I post. Oh, and please don't forget to review! Thanks!

**Story #5: Leaving the Past Behind:**

In my opinion, high school reunions are only enjoyed by the select few –and looking around the darkened ballroom and listening to the music being played, I could easily pick out the ones who were having fun, and the ones who wished they'd stayed home tonight.

Taking in the scene, I couldn't help but be amused at how the different 'cliques' still gravitated together, everyone seeking out old friends and hovering in the same exact groups they'd formed as kids. It was like watching animal clusters form, each one consisting of people so different from the group close by, they were like different species trying to avoid one another.

'_I guess people really don't change after high school_,' I thought, holding back a chuckle as my eyes continued drifting around the room. I remembered everyone clearly, as well as the groups they had formed way back then.

In one corner were a group of classmates who had become rich; who got married to someone rich; or who are now divorced from someone rich, but still came out fabulously well-off. Some of these people had been the ones voted "most likely to succeed," but others were simply the popular kids who'd grown up, kept themselves looking good their adult lives, and married for either looks, money, or both. I could easily tell their wealth from the designer bags, outfits, jewelry, and overly-managed hair and faces. Even in this sea of people clad in 'evening attire,' they stood out in name-brand everything, and they all looked stuck-up and bored.

One spot near the stage area held the sports teams, both males and females, each of them trading old stories and new ones. The football players were still heads-and-shoulders above everyone else, but for some, their stomachs had gotten wider than their shoulders. Most of the team members wore their high school letterman jackets proudly, complete with metals and all, just like they had in school. I guess letting go of the past was harder for some people than for others.

I spotted members of the "geek" crowd laughing and chatting while creating or trading phone apps. From the wisps of conversation that drifted my way, I knew they were eagerly chatting about the latest tech developments at Stark Industries, and most were clamoring to try and get their hands on Tony's gadgets as soon as humanly possible. From a few of the arrogant smirks on some of the faces, I had a distinct feeling that at least half of the group worked in some section of Tony's company, and were waiting to brag about it to their fellow "geeks."

Glancing out the corner of my eye, I spotted the 'artistic' group, mainly consisting of painters, musicians, actors, and even sculptors. A few of the auto shop guys were in there, too, talking with the musicians and apparently sharing music files. Doodles on napkins or scraps of paper flew back and forth, which probably meant they were trading ideas or art techniques.

From my own little corner, I was the 'odd woman out.' I hadn't belonged to any of these groups, though I had dabbled in both art and band –and dabbling was not enough to actually count as "belonging" to the group.

'_I did have my own little group, however_.'

Yup, my very own merry little band of misfits. Heck, we were more 'outsiders' than the "official" outsider group, the one acknowledged as such by the other cliques! We didn't fit in anywhere, so we formed our own little circle of friends who talked, laughed, joked, and studied together through four straight years of high school. I sometimes think we'd had more fun together than the other groups did.

"Adena!" called a voice from my left. Turning, I saw it was Kaylee, my best friend since we were babies.

"Kay!" I cried as she swept me up in a tight hug.

When we pulled apart, Kaylee gave me one of her beaming smiles and motioned behind her. "You shouldn't be hiding here by yourself," she gently chided me. "Come on; the gang's all here, and you need to tell us everything that's happened to you!"

She meant my move to New York, as well as the alien invasion, followed by my marriage to Cap. Kaylee already knew the brief details I'd been allowed to give her (courtesy of Director Fury), but the rest of the group would want to know all about it.

In a far corner near the snack tables and the bar that had been set up, I spotted my old high school friends. Each of them had drinks, phones, and plates of food out in front of them, ready to talk the night away and take as many pictures as possible. I, of course, had JT, but he was safely tucked away in my hotel room –tonight, I'd have to make do with a regular cell phone, though I'd still be able to access JT through a voice command, if I wanted to.

"Adena!" voices cried all around, welcoming me with warm smiles, hugs, and offers of food, drinks, and a chair.

Once we were all settled and I had a plate of finger-food in front of me, with a glass of bubbling cider to sip, we all began throwing stories around.

I laughed as Mariah Brown talked about her new life in Alaska, and the wildlife encounters she had while hiking through the woods while working on her geology paper. "Luckily, I had my shotgun with me, or else I'd have been speared by that moose's antlers!" she finished, earning laughter from everyone at the table. "I didn't have the heart to shoot the poor thing, but I certainly scared it out of a year's growth with the noise!"

Heather Logan was a librarian who worked weekends as a secretary, and was thrilled to be living quietly in her apartment. "Nothing too exciting for me, thanks," she joked. "High school was more than enough for me!"

Mariah Ross (yes, we had two Mariahs in our group) talked about working as a video game tester while her boyfriend, Taylor, held her hand and looked at her adoringly.

"What about you, Taylor?" I gently teased him. "You're a bit young to be at our reunion."

It was an old joke –Taylor had been a sophomore when he asked out Mariah R, who was a senior, but we'd accepted him into the group, and as such, he'd come to as many of the senior class events with us as he was allowed to attend.

He rolled his eyes, but still smiled in spite of himself. "Thanks, Adena," Taylor retorted. "But I have to tell you, this will probably beat out my own reunion in a few years. I get a whole table full of single ladies to myself!"

Well, he was mostly right –most of the others weren't married, or obviously engaged, so it seemed like everyone was single. Given that my left hand had been in my lap or out of their direct line of sight, none of them, besides Kaylee, knew I was married.

"Sorry, but not everyone's single," I said, holding up my left hand.

The girls all squealed their excitement and grabbed my left hand, cooing over it just like my mother had. Kaylee even looked thrilled, even though she'd already known about it.

"Spill!" Mariah B. demanded. "Tell us about him!"

"And about New York," Kaylee put in. "I want to know all about what happened with your new job and the aliens!"

"Aliens?" asked a voice behind me. Turning, I saw Jennifer, another member of our group, behind me. I hadn't seen her at the table and assumed that she'd passed on coming. "You mean you were there for that?" she said, taking a free seat at the table.

'_I really ought to write a book or something_,' I silently complained to myself. After all, how many times had I repeated an edited version of this story for other people?

Once again, I spilled out everything that had happened to me since leaving the West Coast. Everyone looked completely hooked on the story, from everything about the invasion straight up to my wedding to my husband. I then broke out my phone to show them photos of me and Cap, both of our wedding (_not_ the ones with the Avengers in them!), and a bunch of random pictures I'd taken in the year we'd been married.

And that was when things started getting weird…

Taylor took one glimpse of my wedding photos and gave me a skeptical look. "No offense, Adena, but how did you score a guy like this? I mean, I'm a dude, but even I have to admit that, on a scale of one to ten, the guy's an eleven."

Jennifer nodded, her long red hair flowing perfectly back and forth. Even when we'd been young, she'd been a beautiful red-head, and she hadn't changed much over the years. The red dress she was wearing tonight certainly left nothing to the imagination. "He's right, Adena," she said, trying to keep her voice gentle. "I mean, this guy is kind of out of your league, isn't he?"

At first, I wasn't sure if I was hearing this right. "You don't believe that I can marry a great guy like Cap?"

Mariah R. looked at me with as much skepticism as Taylor. "Cap? Is that his name, or a nickname?"

"It's a nickname," I retorted. "It's short for _Captain_ Steve Rogers. He's in the Army."

Kaylee gave the image of Cap a close look. I hadn't sent her any images of Cap, explaining to her that I wanted to show them when we next saw met. "With those muscles, I'd totally believe it," she said. "But still, I can't picture you with an Army man. Is that why he's not here with you?"

Actually, it was, though not for the reasons they thought. Director Fury had an "incident" that needed a more subtle approach than sending in Iron Man, but it didn't require the level of secrecy that needed a SHIELD agent/spy/assassin. I didn't know many of the details; just that it was over in Europe somewhere, and that it needed someone with a good head for strategy, retrieving, and fighting.

When the Director had come to us, Cap hadn't wanted to go, since he'd already promised to accompany me to my reunion, but I told him it was fine and told him to go. To be honest, I knew he needed to be fighting something more threatening than a punching bag at the gym, and these types of situations didn't come up that often. Plus, I knew I'd hate myself if the world came under serious threat again and I'd let Cap get soft and lazy!

"Yes, that's why he's not here," I snapped, snatching my phone back. "And I'm sorry to say that it's really shallow of you to have that attitude."

They all looked at me in surprise. "What attitude?" Kaylee said, taking offense.

"The one that says, 'there's no way a guy like him could want a girl like you,'" I retorted. "And he _is_ a soldier, and a good and brave one."

I pulled up a photo of Cap in his uniform, with me wrapped in his arms –it had been taken when Tony had begged us to attend a Stark Industries function in New York a few weeks ago, and we'd agreed to go. The photo made the others look less skeptical about me and Cap, but it was clear they doubted my marriage, which I didn't understand. I mean, I wasn't a hideous-looking person, nor did I look like a shabby person who didn't take care of my appearance, so what was it about me that they thought made me unworthy of Cap?

I had a feeling it had something to do with my own old fears, namely the one about him being so much better-looking compared to me. But after being with him for so long, I knew that that didn't mean anything –he loved me for who I was, not for what I looked like, and I felt the same about him.

'_I shouldn't have come without him_,' part of me said. But I'd been looking forward to catching up with my old friends, and had been willing to come without Cap to support me. Now I wish I hadn't.

'_And who knows when that whole mission of his will be over_?' I hoped it'd be soon –I desperately wanted Cap's warm, strong arms around me, and to feel his breath tickling my ear as he whispered comforting words to me. He did that whenever I'd had trouble sleeping, or a bad day.

"Wow, who's the hunk?" said a voice behind me.

I looked over my shoulder and bit back a groan –it was The Heathers. Now, Heather Logan was a sweetheart, and very down-to-earth; The Heathers were not. In fact, this group of girls consisted of the most popular and richest girls in school, all of whom belonged to the usual clubs and activities: namely cheerleading and student council; they'd occupied all of the class offices, from president straight down to librarian. They were smart, too, which made them even more arrogant, and so even more unbearable to be around.

'_Luckily, they don't dress alike, or I'd be seriously creeped out_.'

One Heather took the phone from my hand and began passing it around her group, the others looking at it with cat-like suggestive smiles before handing it back to me. "Friend of yours? Maybe a pen-pal you could put us in touch with?"

"Actually, he's my husband," I replied, flashing my ring before pulling up my wedding photos again. "See?"

The Heathers traded looks. "Oh, honey, there's no way those photos can be real," another Heather said with a condescending smile. "They have to have been made on Photoshop, because there's no way a guy like that would marry _you_!"

"Wow, I guess some people really don't change after high school," I said, putting away my phone in my purse. "Shallow as always." I looked at the people I was very likely going to consider as former friends. "And then some."

A lot of angry faces began forming, but before the claws could really come out, there was a small commotion at the entrance to the ballroom. Turning to see what the fuss was about, I saw numerous women patting their hair and striking a few flirtatious poses, as well as throwing a few glances at the door's direction.

And then he walked in…

Handsome as always in his uniform, blonde hair combed perfectly and his face tanned from wherever he'd been, I felt my heart skip a beat. Only a tiny portion of my brain asked what he was doing here, when he should have been on the other side of the world.

Taller than most of the people here, my husband made his way through the crowd, which parted before his tall figure like the Red Sea. A few women approached him openly to try and flirt, but he ignored them, those blue eyes searching everywhere for me –and when they found my own, I had to smile at the way they lit up, like the sky at noon on a sunny day.

Sighing like the love-sick girl I was, I watched him come up and edge his way through The Heathers to get to me. "Hi, beautiful," he said, giving me an apologetic smile. "Sorry I'm late."

Laughing, I got up from my chair and threw myself at him, his arms wrapping around my waist and lifting me up so that he could give me a loving kiss. A minute later, as I was lowered back to the ground and our lips parted, I had to giggle.

"I didn't think you'd come," I whispered, ignoring the stares of people around us. "I mean, you were overseas and everything…" That was all I dared to say in everyone else's hearing.

Cap merely smiled and pressed another kiss to my lips. "I got it done quickly, just so I could make it in time." He saw the glint of worry in my eyes. "It's okay; everything's wrapped up just fine. And I've got permission."

Sighing, I snuggled happily against his chest. "You get major points for good timing, too."

He laughed as music began to play. "Well, a soldier has to have good timing; it's a requirement." There was a brief pause. "Especially while dancing."

Listening carefully, I noticed that the music was a slow song. "Oh, yes, of course," I teased. "Well, Captain, shall we dance?"

We both exchanged grins as he led me out onto the dance floor to join the other couples.

* * *

"I think I made a lot of enemies tonight," I whispered as I snuggled up against Cap's shoulder, the two of us watching those on the dance floor move to a fast song.

Turning his head slightly, I saw an amused smile form on his lips before he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Really? Why do you say that?"

"Because before your timely arrival, I was about to get into a major fistfight with a group of people," I said, squeezing the hand I'd been holding. "They didn't believe that I was married to a great guy like you."

I glanced at the far corner of the room, where my soon-to-be former friends were glaring at me. "I also told them how shallow they were acting, and they didn't like it."

Cap actually chuckled. "Well, no one likes hearing that," he agreed, "But in this case, it looks like the truth. Besides, people change over time, and maybe they changed for the worse."

I didn't like the idea of Kaylee changing so much, but then, we had drifted apart after I'd left for New York. "And some people change for the better," I softly replied, looking at him. "I know you've made me better."

He smiled and held me close. "I could say the same about you."

"Aw, aren't you guys cute," said a sarcastic, snarky voice from our left. Turning, I saw it was a Heather, her little black dress hugging her tightly as her arms crossed over her chest. "But seriously, I do have to give you props for putting on such a great performance. You should give me the number of your acting company, in case I have to be desperate enough to hire a husband for a night."

Cap immediately stiffened; a clear sign that he was ready to throw a punch at something. I quickly put a hand on his arm, silently telling him that things would be fine. "It's okay," I assured him. "Some people just can't help how stupid and blind they are to the obvious."

Heather looked insulted, just like I knew she would. "You're calling _me_ stupid? _You're_ the one who-"

"Quiet," Cap snapped at her, getting to his feet. "You and everyone here have insulted not only me, but also my wife. If you want to act like a spoiled child, go ahead. But we're leaving." He turned towards me. "Shall we?"

Yes, we should! I happily took his hand and let him lead me through the crowds to the door. I was tempted to look back, but knew it wouldn't be a good idea –my old friends weren't who they used to be, and it was best for me to leave everything I'd shared with them back in the past.

'_I've got new friends, though_,' I reminded myself, '_and they're a heck of a lot better at it than this group_!'

Out we went, with Cap leading me straight to a very slick and expensive luxury limo. Waiting by the passenger door was a driver that was obviously a SHIELD agent –when you've been around them long enough, it's not that hard to spot who worked for Fury and his agency.

"Where'd you get this?" I asked as the driver held the door open for me.

Cap shrugged. "Director Fury wanted to apologize for taking me away so close to your reunion. And since we've got it for the night, I think a nice evening drive and a stop for ice cream sounds like a good idea; don't you?"

Grinning, I got in the car and pulled out my cell, activating JT through it as an idea hit me. "JT, can you do me a favor?" I asked as Cap got in. "And Cap, tell the driver to wait a few minutes, would you?"

He gave me a confused look, but did as I asked while I voiced my request to JT. When my husband heard what I wanted, he looked like he wanted to protest, but thought the better of it when I insisted that no one would get hurt.

A minute later, the fire alarm in the rented area went off, and people started streaming out of the emergency doors, all of them dripping wet. Some women were screaming in anger over their ruined clothes and hair; others were yelling curses as they tried to wring out their clothes. But feel satisfied as the limo began pulling away.

Snuggling up against Cap's shoulder, I looked out the window at the passing city lights and couldn't help but wonder what other interesting and entertaining things the future held in store for us…

* * *

AN: The end! I hope that everyone enjoyed sharing the adventures of Steve and Adena. I'm not sure which genre or category I'll head off to after this, but keep a sharp eye open –I can pop up in the weirdest of places! Thanks again; and please be kind and review.


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